IndepC
by Twilight Scribe
Summary: Colette could hardly believe the Journey of Regeneration was almost over. Weeks ago she would have been more than willing to do her duty, but now, for the first time ever, she had questions. All thanks to Lloyd. AU, Subject to indefinite hiatus.
1. Prologue

**WARNING: It's usually my policy to not post any chapters of a story until the entire thing is completed. However, I've been working on this on and off for several years now and I've only finished two chapters thus far. So instead of waiting and letting this languish on my hard drive where no one can see it for who knows how much longer, I've decided to break my rule and post what I have. Maybe I'll update quickly, maybe I won't. _It's entirely possible that I may never even finish the tale_, but whatever happens I hope you all enjoy what I do have. **

**Now I return you to your regularly scheduled author's notes.  
**

AN: All right... This is going to be my first real attempt at writing a multichapter fic that's not a collection of loosely related oneshots. It's based on a killer idea kindly donated to me eons ago by musicfreak16. ("What if Lloyd found out about what really happens to the Chosen at the end of the Journey of Regeneration much earlier and had more time to bug Colette about it?") So thanks, I hope you like how it turned out!

Oh, and I want everyone to know right from the start: This is going to be an AU, and it's going to be an AU very soon. Dig it!

* * *

Tomorrow... They were going to the Tower of Salvation tomorrow. Colette could hardly believe the journey was almost over. She was standing at the top of Hima, the top of the world, staring out over the land she would save, and she only had one night to enjoy it. One last night before...

_"The final step in regenerating the world is that Colette will ascend to heaven and become a vessel for Martel." Raine explained, quiet and respectful as if she was speaking about a person already long dead._

_"A vessel?" They still didn't understand._

_"When that happens, Martel's spirit will take over Colette's body and the Colette we know will...Cease to be." The party went silent. Raine bowed her head as Lloyd, Genis, and Sheena- The ones who hadn't known what was coming- Realized the seriousness of the situation._

How was she supposed to feel about this? Colette never wanted Lloyd to know. His fantasy of her becoming an angel, flying up to heaven, and watching over him and everyone else alongside the Goddess; that was the kind of legacy she wanted to leave her friends with. Not death. Still, letting them wait to find out until the very end... That would have hurt them even more. Lloyd and the others, they deserved to know the truth, no matter how painful it was.

_"W-What are you saying, Professor? What are you talking like there's no other option? In order to regenerate the world, Colette has to die. Are you really okay with that?" Lloyd shook as he yelled at Raine. Colette had never seen him so sad and angry before, not even when they learned how Exspheres were made._

_"Of course I'm not okay with it!" A pained look flashed across Raine's face. "Lloyd, do you really think I would be so heartless?" Lloyd seemed to deflate._

_"No, but... We have to chose between Colette and the world? That's no choice at all! There's got to be another way, some way we could save everyone without sacrificing Colette."_

Lloyd... That was just like him. Colette sat down on the edge of the mountain and let her legs dangle over the side. Oh how things change. Weeks ago she wouldn't have dreamed of coming so close to the brink for fear of tripping, but now there was nothing to worry about thanks to her wings. Weeks ago she had been more than willing to fulfill her duty, but now, for the first time ever, she had questions, all thanks to Lloyd.

The Regeneration, saving the world, was that really all there was for her? Was sixteen years well-lived enough? Sixteen years of peace with a loving family, one last incredible journey across the world surrounded by friends... Maybe it was. A pampered life of luxury, that's what she had always lived in Iselia as the Chosen. Always told of the suffering of the people of Sylvarant but wanting for nothing herself. So what if she was never allowed outside the village before the journey? So what if she'd never been able to go with Genis and Lloyd when they played tag in the woods or went swimming? That didn't mean she missed out on a childhood. And what did it matter if she never got to fall in love, get married, and raise a family? There would be no chance for that, even if she didn't sacrifice herself at the Tower. She was still a part of the Lineage of Mana, if she survived her marriage would be arranged for her by the Church of Martel.

The journey was the best option, the only option, just like the church elders had always told her. But... Lloyd's idea, his third possibility that no one had to be sacrificed echoed in her mind. Maybe there really was another way to carry out the Regeneration, but the Church of Martel stopped looking for it after using Chosens for so long. If they could find that other way, then maybe she could have those things that she had always dismissed as being "not for her." Freedom to come and go as she pleased, a first love, a family, maybe even a yard full of dogs. A life of her own beyond what the church expected from her. It would be wonderful! If only they could find that mysterious way to save everyone; but the elders always said... No.

No. She knew what she had to do. Tomorrow at the Tower of Salvation she would go up to the altar and do what was best, for Sylvarant and for her. She would-

Colette looked up, away from the nighttime vista spread out before her. She had heard something, footsteps. The heavy crunch of someone trekking uphill over grit and gravel-covered bedrock floated through the quiet night air. Colette knew, thanks to her heightened senses, that whoever it was walking around down there was only about halfway up the path from the inn; so she waited, listening as the steps grew louder and other sounds became audible. A steady heartbeat and unlabored breathing, even after hiking halfway up the mountain, that person was in good shape and close by. Probably just a few steps away from the summit. Colette took a deep breath. It was probably just Lloyd or Kratos coming to check on her, not another assassin.

"Colette, there you are! I've been looking all over for you." Lloyd hurried over, jogging the last few yards and glancing around the empty mountaintop before taking a seat on the edge next to her. "Hey, where are the dragons?"

Colette smiled and took his hand. She had been expecting a last-minute plea from him, and she would likely hear it soon, but for the moment it seemed like Lloyd's curiosity had gotten the better of him. (Not that she could blame him. She wondered the same thing when she first reached the summit and spent a few minutes watching the dragons sleep at the rental shop.)

"'T-H-E-Y'R-E I-N T-H-E-I-R S-T-A-B-L-E F-O-R T-H-E N-I-G-H-T.' Really?" Lloyd looked a little shocked when Colette nodded. "I didn't know dragons had stables. They're like big, scaly horses!" Colette grinned and started tracing in his hand again. "'Y-E-A-H! D-I-D Y-O-U K-N-O-W T-H-E-Y S-H-O-O-T F-I-R-E F-R-O-M T-H-E-I-R N-O-S-E-S W-H-E-N T-H-E-Y S-N-O-R-E?' No way, that's really cool!" Lloyd paused. "Do you think they might accidentally burn the stable down by snoring?"

Colette shrugged and they fell into a comfortable silence, both turning back to look out over the countryside, and at the Tower of Salvation, looming off in the distance. It was still the same tower and symbol of hope they had been questing for, but in the dark it seemed different. Ominous. As if the night and fleeting time had infused it with every doubt they collected over the entire journey. It was daunting, it was forbidding, and, Colette sighed at the thought, it was going to remind Lloyd of why he came up to talk to her in the first place. Gazing at the Tower, he was quiet for a moment longer, then...

"Colette... Are you sure this is what you want?"

Always asking the easy questions, aren't you Lloyd? But it was all right. She had been asking herself the same question, after all, and she had an answer. Nodding and taking Lloyd's hand once again, she wrote out her answer.

"'Y-E-S, I'-M S-U-R-E. I'-V-E B-E-E-N T-H-I-N-K-I-N-G A-B-O-U-T I-T A L-O-T A-N-D I K-N-O-W W-H-A-T I'-M G-O-I-N-G T-O D-O, S-O D-O-N'-T W-O-R-R-Y, L-L-O-Y-D.' Don't worry? My friend might kill herself tomorrow, I can't help but be worried!" Lloyd shifted his hands from being held to holding Colette's. "We don't have to go tomorrow. Please Colette, just take a few more days to think about it. You don't have to throw your life away!"

As he said the words, the strangest look flashed across Colette's face. Lloyd didn't know what to think. It wasn't like she had stuck her tongue out or made a funny face, but that look was not a 'Colette' expression. It looked more like that face Genis would make when describing a particularly intricate prank. He watched her carefully as she twisted her hand out of his grasp and started writing.

"'D-O Y-O-U T-R-U-S-T M-E, L-L-O-Y-D?' Yeah, of course." He looked up to see a small, confident grin on her face. "'T-H-E-N D-O-N'-T W-O-R-R-Y.'"

* * *

AN: Poor Colette... Contrary to popular belief, the Chosen is actually capable of forming complex thoughts. It just so happens she's capable of being painfully ditzy too... Anyway, please try to remember that Colette's not entirely blond. She can think and form opinions just like the rest of us.


	2. Chapter 1, Part 1

AN: Well, I said it'd get AU fast, and here we are! I took some lines directly from this scene in the game, mangled others, and then completely made up my own in quite a few spots. (Hooray for mangling!)

I also realized this chapter was exceptionally long, so I split it up. This means you're now assured at least one more chapter. Enjoy!

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The Tower of Salvation. It had been waiting for her ever since she first accepted the Oracle and now Colette finally knew what she needed to do. From the moment they set out from Hima that morning every action, every step and beat of a dragon's wing that led her closer to the Tower only strengthened her resolve.

As she and Kratos materialized on the warp pad high in the heart of the Tower, Colette took a moment to look around the huge space. So this was her final destination, it hardly seemed real now that she had arrived. Steeling herself for the last time, she started down the pillar-lined path to the altar, moving with a slow gait she hoped seemed like a grace befitting a Chosen, not like she was stalling for time. She didn't look over her shoulder as she climbed the short staircase up to the dais where the altar sat, but Colette was listening intently for any sign of her friends. She wanted- Needed them to be there, watching. They hadn't been too far behind on the dragons, if she could just buy a few more seconds acting dignified, the others would arrive on time. Colette knelt in front of the low stone altar and smiled as she brought her hands together to pray.

The warp pad whined behind her, signaling the arrival of Lloyd and the others, and seconds later a light began to shine down from above, heralding Remiel. Colette didn't need to look up, she could hear his wings flapping as he hovered in front of her.

"Now, my daughter, release the final seal! In doing so of your own free will, you will complete the final sacrifice of your human existence, your heart and your memories, and become an angel." Remiel's eagerness was obvious as he rushed through his speech, watching Colette impatiently. Down below the dais on the Tower floor, Colette heard Lloyd gulp.

"Colette... Colette, wait!" She paused, lifting her head to look at Remiel for the first time. The angel seemed distressed, focusing his attention on nothing but her.

"Why do you hesitate?" Remiel frowned. "You wish to say something?" Colette nodded and was surprised when Remiel drifted down closer to her. For a second she thought she saw him grimace as he extended a hand. "Very well, I shall relay your thoughts to your friends as you say farewell." Rising to her feet, Colette took the offered hand.

_'Actually, Lord Remiel,'_ she thought, the sound of her old voice echoing through the Tower, _'I don't need to say goodbye. I'm not opening this seal.'_

"W-What?" The rage on Remiel's face was almost enough to make Colette think she had made a mistake, but the surprised gasps and cheers from her friends convinced her it was right. "Chosen- Daughter, how dare you? You cannot defy the will of Cruxis or refuse your destiny!" The angel moved as if to jerk his hand out of Colette's grasp but she reached out with her other hand, latching into his arm before he could pull away.

_'Yes, I can!'_ Colette fixed the angel with a determined stare, her tone respectful yet defiant. _'Ever since I was little, I've been taught that my purpose is to regenerate the world, even if it means I lose my life. But Lloyd is right, there has to be another way! I'm sorry Fath- Lord Remiel. I'll wake the Goddess and save everyone, but not as a sacrifice and not by becoming an angel.'_

Colette had been studying Remiel throughout her entire explanation, paying careful attention to his expressions and body language, subtle hints to the angel's emotions that her sharpened senses could pick out. From what she could see, his initial fury had cooled while she spoke. He was even smiling! Well, a little. And it looked forced, but a smile of any sort meant Remiel understood. She convinced him! Right? The longer she focused on it, the stranger- Emptier the angel's cold grin became. Maybe, Colette thought, he's uncomfortable with me still holding his hand! That had to be it. Remiel understood her feelings, he just wasn't used to being touched by humans! He did try to pull his hand back earlier...

Colette bowed her thanks, then released her grip on Remiel's arm and stepped away- What? She had intended to just slip her hand out of his as she moved back, but... Why wasn't her letting go?

Before she could react, Remiel shifted his grip to her wrist and yanked, pulling Colette off-balance. As she stumbled closer, the angel clamped his other hand around her throat and leaned in.

"That I cannot allow." All she could focus on were Remiel's leering eyes. "You are Martel's vessel, Martel's new body which took years to complete. You'll not escape your fate so easily."

"Wait just a minute! What're you doing to Colette?" Footsteps. Sheena and the others were running up the stairs.

"You bastard! Let her go now!" A heavy thump from the edge of the dais, followed by the metallic hiss of a sword being drawn told Colette that Lloyd opted to shortcut the stairs and jumped up.

But none of that mattered as much as the fact that she couldn't breathe. Remiel was squeezing, choking her. She... Was he going to wait until she passed out then take her to heaven anyway? Couldn't breathe! Her vision was starting to go blurry as she summoned her wings and struggled to break free from the angel's grasp. She couldn't...! Moving on instinct alone, Colette reached under her tabard and grabbed one of the chakrams strapped to her back with her free hand. Swinging with all the strength her oxygen-starved frame could muster, she sliced a deep gash across the right side of Remiel's face and leapt back, gasping for air, when he dropped her.

"Damn you, inferior beings..." Colette stared at the blood flowing from the angel's cheek as Remiel slowly pulled his hands away from the wound, numbness creeping into her limbs as the others fell into formation around her. She- It was in self-defense, but she just attacked Lord Remiel... She injured the messenger of Cruxis, the voice of the Goddess Martel herself! Just a half-inch higher and she would have blinded him. "I have no use for any of you except the Chosen! Begone!"

Colette couldn't move. What had she done? Remiel was preparing to cast something, but she was too stunned, too fixated on the angel's blood to do anything but watch as it dripped down his neck, staining the collar of his robes. She hardly even felt it when Lloyd shoved her out of the way of the spell and could only look on as he charged forward, slashing at Remiel and trying to drive him back.

Lloyd's first attack opened a shallow cut on the angel's chest, but before the second blade could connect Remiel vanished in a flash of light and glowing feathers, reappearing in front of Genis and Raine. Startled, the two barely had time to react as Remiel swung at them, his hand engulfed in an aura of golden mana. Raine leapt out of her casting stance and in front of Genis, staff held ready to punish, but Sheena was already there.

"Pyre Seal!"

The explosion blasted Remiel away, sending him skidding sideways across the smooth stone floor. He slid to a stop a few yards away from Colette, wearing a sadistic smirk as he climbed back to his feet and turned to face Lloyd and Sheena; both racing towards him, side-by-side with weapons drawn. In seconds Remiel had the spell ready.

"Holy Lance!"

Colette watched in horror as the ground below her friends' feet lit up, illuminated by a rainbow-hued array of runes, and shot glowing spears of light into the air, impaling the fighters in mid-charge. She couldn't make a sound, but Colette's mind was screaming. Why was Remiel doing this? Lloyd, Genis, the Professor, Sheena... They didn't do anything wrong! She should be the one Remiel was attacking! Was hurting her friends supposed to be a punishment for defying Cruxis? A punishment...

No, that couldn't be right. The Pastor at the Martel Temple always said the angels of Cruxis were servants of Martel an bound to follow the Goddess' ideals, even when she slept. Those that didn't became demons and monsters. Martel was a goddess of forgiveness and compassion, not retribution. She would never approve of any of this! Especially not the way Remiel was clearly enjoying inflicting pain. The Goddess probably wouldn't even want her new body if it had to be stolen instead of freely sacrificed. Colette pulled her second chakram from its place on her back, one thought lingering in her mind. From the moment Remiel disobeyed the Goddess and attacked, he was no longer an angel. He was a monster, a demon who was trying to kill them all, and he needed to be stopped.

Remiel advanced on Lloyd and Sheena, pacing himself against Raine's desperate First Aids and Nurses so that when he arrived by where they lay the two would have just enough strength to struggle entertainingly, but not enough to be a threat. Not that they were ever a threat to begin with. He was almost to them, just steps away and ready to smite when two heavy, sharp weights slammed into his back, driving him to one knee. The Chosen... He hadn't expected her to be able to muster the courage to attack him.

Colette braced herself as she prepared the second assault, silently chanting the incantation for Angel Feathers in her head. She was doing the right thing. Remiel was evil, it was her duty to try and stop him. The next spell would be stronger than any other she ever tried to cast before; the sheer volume of mana being pumped out of her body and into her wings was making her lightheaded, but it was almost finished. Colette threw her arms out wide, activating the spell and sending a hail of razor-edged feathers hurtling at Remiel. Still stunned from the chakrams and unable to dodge, he doubled over, grasping his wounded torso as the sizzling mana tore through him.

Remiel was down, it was an opportunity too good for Genis to pass up. Flipping his kendama one last time, he finished the spell he had been working on for the entire battle.

"Want a charge? Thunder Blade!"

The Tower grew dark as a huge sword of crackling energy coalesced above the angel and fell, running him through.

"Impossible..." Remiel slumped over as the blade pinning him upright released its shockwaves and faded away. "How can an angel, the ultimate being, lose to a group of humans?"

"It doesn't matter what you are, we'd never let you take Colette from us!" Genis yelled as he ran over with Raine and helped pull Lloyd and Sheena to their feet, glaring at Remiel the whole time. His determination earned a weak, gurgling laugh from the angel.

"Is that so? Foolish little brat..." Remiel turned his head to watch Colette as she drew closer. None of them suspected yet. Excellent. Once he started the process, there would be no way to reverse it. Focusing on the mana field surrounding the Tower's seal, he pushed at it, jarring the dormant energy enough to unleash it on the Chosen. "I'll break the seal myself. Now, Chosen, you belong to... Cruxis..."

Colette stopped dead in her tracks, hands grasping at her Cruxis Crystal as it burned, responding to the magic circle swirling beneath her feet.

"Raine, what's happening to her?"

Why did it hurt so much? The other seals were never this bad! She opened her mouth in a mute scream as the agony in her chest flared down her back, growing more extreme by the second as her wings forced their way out through her skin.

"It's Remiel, he must have triggered the angel transformation in Colette. If she transforms completely, it will be as if she sacrificed herself in the first place!"

Her vision was starting to haze again, the vibrant colors of the Tower fading under a wash of bloody red. The others were shouting, their voices mixing into a roar of distraught noise that Colette didn't want to untangle. All she wanted was to fall to the ground and curl up into a tiny ball. She would have if not for the seal's power that was keeping her standing.

Darkness was pushing in on the edges of her mind as Lloyd limped towards her, Colette knew she couldn't hold on much longer. Remiel's final words, not Lloyd's, were the last thing she heard before consciousness slipped away from her.

"I've done it! It's finally complete. Martel's vessel is... Finally complete... With this, I shall become one of the Four... Seraphi..."

- X -

"Colette? Colette! No..." Lloyd couldn't believe it. Colette said no, she refused! She wasn't supposed to transform. She was supposed to be alive and happy, searching for another way to regenerate the world, not- Not like this! Remiel, that bastard! "No, Colette, please...!"

"You're wasting your time." All eyes turned to Kratos as he climbed the stairs to the altar. "She has lost the soul to listen to your words. Now Colette is merely a puppet standing before death's door."

"Kratos!" Lloyd was torn between surprise at the mercenary's sudden arrival and anger at his callous words. Where have you been? What're you saying?" Kratos ignored both questions, continuing to talk about Colette in an infuriatingly calm manner as he approached the party.

"It's unfortunate that the Chosen did not choose this path herself. She may be useless to us now... Her death, however, will not have been in vain. We will take the chosen as the new body for Martel. By summoning the Chosen to Derris-Kharlan, the Regeneration will be complete an Sylvarant will be saved." Kratos stopped in front of Lloyd, who was standing between him and Colette with swords drawn, and gazed down at the younger swordsman. He had no interest in fighting over Colette, but it seemed inevitable now. "Move out of the way, Lloyd." Lloyd didn't budge. He was just as stubborn as his mother...

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd held his swords steady, one pointed at Kratos' heart and the other ready to defend in an instant. He hated threatening the man, but there was just too much that had happened, too many questions, and Kratos' weird behavior wasn't helping. "Why do you want to take Colette? Kratos... Answer me!" For a moment neither spoke, neither moved, then Kratos sighed and Lloyd felt his heart skip a beat. No... It couldn't be! A pair of cool blue wings materialized behind Kratos in a ping of mana, flapping lazily and throwing off silver sparks of light. "Kratos, you..."

"I am one of the Four Seraphim of Cruxis, the organization that guides this world, sent forth to keep close watch over the Chosen."

"Kratos is an angel too?" Genis gasped.

"You deceived us!" Sheena shouted, reaching for the deck of cards tucked under her obi. There was no question how this encounter would end.

"Deceived?" Kratos raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'Oh, really?' "I guarded and protected the Chosen throughout her journey so she could make the sacrifice to regenerate the world. Is that not what you wanted?" His hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. He didn't plan on using it, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared in case Lloyd or the others decided to do something foolish. "Now stand aside, the Chosen is coming with me."

"Damn it! Kratos-" Lloyd cut himself off, gritting his teeth as he held back the wounded 'We trusted you!' that echoed through his mind. "You think I'm going to let you do that? Colette is our friend!"

A small, almost imperceptible frown tugged at the corners of Kratos' mouth. Did Lloyd honestly believe that he would even stand a chance in a battle between the two of them? In his condition? If so, every lesson he had ever given about judging an opponent's strength and strategic retreats had been lost on the boy. But... No, Lloyd's determination was a bluff. He would never abandon Colette, but Lloyd knew there was nothing he could do. Kratos could see it in his eyes; full of desperation, fear, and a profound pain. Lloyd had the nearly shattered look of a person hoping to wake from a nightmare, safe and sound in their bed, but who knows it won't happen.

That look of anguish, loss, and betrayal sent a jolt of guilt racing through Kratos. For one insane moment he actually considered allowing his former traveling companions to 'escape.' It was only the thought of Mithos' reaction to his carefully laid plans being derailed that kept Kratos from acting on his impulse. Last time Mithos ordered Anna's murder, what vengeance would a second betrayal bring? Hating himself for what he was about to do, Kratos drew his sword and held his arms out in front of him, the flat of his blade pressed against his left palm.

"Sacred powers," The others reacted instantly, scrambling to mount an attack before he finished the incantation. Kratos leapt back, avoiding Lloyd's lunge and continuing his chant uninterrupted as he dodged. "Cast thy purifying light upon these corrupt souls. Rest in peace, sinners! Judgment!"

* * *

AH: I like the idea of an angry, avenging Colette. Also, Holy Lance and Dark Sphere. Two attacks I really, _really _hate. Now I'm off to an early Thanksgiving dinner. Wahoo!


	3. Chapter 1, Part 2

WARNING: This is the last chapter I have typed and ready to post as of now.

AN: Okay, chapter 1, part 2! Fight!

* * *

_'This is bad...'_

Lloyd shuddered, the effort it took to just stay upright and keep his grip on both swords was almost more than he could manage. Kratos must have been holding back every time they fought before, because Lloyd never remembered him being this hellishly strong. Even in a four-on-one fight, they still couldn't touch him. It was pathetic! Sheena, Genis, and Raine... Right from the start Kratos just pummeled them into submission under a relentless barrage of magic fire, electricity, and light; then blasted them down to the lower level of the Tower before turning his attention to Lloyd.

Thanks to him Lloyd's body was covered with shallow cuts, each positioned in vital spots- Places where, if Kratos had sliced just a little deeper or stabbed from a slightly different angle, Lloyd would be maimed. Or dead. Or both. Probably his way of showing his superiority, Lloyd thought bitterly, wincing as his wounds throbbed in time with his racing heartbeat. And Kratos... He didn't have a scratch on him!

_'All this time, he was just toying with us!'_ The sour, curdling ache of betrayal grabbed Lloyd's heart and squeezed even harder than before.

Below them Lloyd could hear Raine casting spell after spell, working furiously on their downed comrades. He was dying to look down and see if his friends were okay, but knew that taking his eyes off Kratos would be deadly. Not just for him, but for Colette and the others too. As soon as he fell Kratos would go after them again, so he couldn't look away, not even for a second. Don't ever let your guard down. Never let your focus waver in battle and never hesitate, doing either will give your enemy an opportunity to attack. That was, ironically, one of the first things Kratos drilled into him during their training sessions and there was no way Lloyd was going to forget it now, not when it mattered. Of course there wasn't much he could do, even if he was paying attention...

Lloyd tensed as Kratos charged again. This was it. Exhausted as he was, there was no way he would be able to parry another one of Kratos' blows. Kratos raised his blade high, as if he was planning to finish their battle by cutting Lloyd cleanly in half from shoulder to hip; but instead of striking he... Paused? Lloyd couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the concept of Kratos ever hesitating, ever, but there was one thing his instincts forced him to notice: His opponent's right side was wide open.

Without stopping to ask why, Lloyd dropped the sword in his left hand and lunged with the last of his strength, using both arms to drive his remaining blade as far into Kratos' gut as he could. He could feel the steel catching, scraping over bone as it slid between Kratos' ribs, against his spine, and the slight release of pressure as the sword's tip breached the other side... The sword slipped out of Lloyd's hands as Kratos slumped to his knees, his own blade clattering on the Tower floor as he grasped at the wound.

"Lloyd..." Despite the obvious pain wracking his body, Kratos' voice was smooth and even as always, carrying a hint of... Was it relief? And pride? Why...? Why would Kratos be proud of him for this? That wound was fatal and... The realization hit Lloyd like a crossbow bolt. This should never have happened. Even if he was a traitor, he was still Kratos. Someone Lloyd had come count as a friend, to depend on. His mentor. They should never have been forced to fight! Lloyd gulped and tried to keep his voice from shaking.

"You let your guard down..." Kratos chuckled lowly in response, then looked up at Lloyd and froze, his eyes wide with barely-concealed horror.

"So did you."

Pain! There wasn't even time to look towards the new voice before Lloyd found himself flying, flung to the edge of the dais and away from Kratos by what had to be a spell; his older wounds forgotten in a haze of agony as harsh, searing energy swept over his body. The scorching light ate away at him, leaving Lloyd too weak to do anything but lie still, facedown where he landed on the cool stone floor, and watch as a tall blonde angel hovered in front of Kratos. Was that the guy who attacked him? They were talking... Lloyd could hear what they were saying, but the pain was so intense he couldn't focus long enough to make sense of it.

"Kratos, you're injured. I guess not even you could bring yourself to fight against such an opponent..." The new angel looked slightly amused as Kratos pulled Lloyd's sword out of his abdomen and murmured a strained First Aid to stop the spurt of blood that followed.

"It's nothing fatal, Lord Yggdrasill." Yggdrasill... Why did that sound familiar? The name floated through Lloyd's clouded mind as Kratos began to cast again, his hand still clutching his slowly oozing wound. "Healing Stream!"

The cool tingle of healing mana cleared Lloyd's head enough for him to wonder why Kratos was healing him too. He was laying at the very edge of the spell, but looking at the ground beneath him, Lloyd could see his burned left side was well within the magic circle. It didn't make sense at all. Was it an accident? Kratos wouldn't bother to heal an enemy. As the spell worked, slowing the bleeding from his larger wounds while sealing the smaller cuts completely an soothing the pain of his burns from excruciating to an almost tolerable ache, Lloyd decided that even though it was confusing, he didn't really care why Kratos did it. He could think again! It felt like a bit of his strength had returned too.

Lloyd pulled himself to his knees, head swimming slightly as he did, and threw a quick glance over the edge of the dais to check on how the others were doing. Genis and Sheena looked like they were in as bad shape as he was, and Raine looked especially exhausted. Casting all those spells probably expended most of her mana... They were all at their limit and in no shape to fight, but at least they were still alive. The knowledge sent a small surge of relief through Lloyd, something he desperately needed as he turned back to face Kratos and Yggdrasill; starting slightly when he realized the blond angel was staring directly at him, sizing him up with a cold, unimpressed air of superiority.

"So you are Lloyd."

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd braced himself. Stalling like this was a dangerous tactic. Even if he could steal enough time to get the rest he needed, how was he supposed to save Colette and the others if he made Yggdrasill mad and got himself incinerated again? Kratos wouldn't save him a second time. Ignoring the risk, Lloyd glared up at the angel, who gazed back for a moment before starting to laugh. Was that a good sign or bad...?

"People need not introduce themselves to a dog." Yggdrasill chuckled again as he saw Lloyd bristle. "However, I will tell you my name. I am Yggdrasill, leader of Cruxis and the Desians. You should be grateful I decided to spare your worthless life. Consider it your reward for bringing the Chosen to me." He patted Colette's head with a faint smile, stroking her hair lightly as if she was a favored cat, as he watched Lloyd's defiance drain away to be replaced by desperation.

"No... You bastard..."

Rage. Pure, festering rage and hatred. More than he'd ever felt towards the Desians, all directed at the angel floating in front of him. Damn him! How dare he lay a finger on Colette? It churned inside him, gnawing away at his wounded heart and giving him something in return: Precious energy. A second wind thrumming out in waves from his Exsphere. For the first time since the start of this entire soul-killing nightmare, Lloyd understood. He knew what he had to do with absolute clarity.

If Yggdrasill was the leader, then killing him would stop Cruxis and save Colette. They'd find out how to turn her back to normal then keep searching for a way to regenerate the world. All that was standing in the way was Yggdrasill.

What Lloyd needed was his swords. The right blade was in Kratos' possession and he wouldn't be giving it back, but the left one... Was lying untouched at Yggdrasill's feet. If he could just get to it before they stopped him, he would have a chance. Lloyd hoped he could do it. Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow as Lloyd struggled to his feet.

"Get your hands off her!"

Lloyd charged. Even with the boost his Exsphere was giving, he was too slow. Getting close to Yggdrasill in this state, the idea suddenly seemed impossible, but the angel wasn't making any moves to counter his attack. He was just floating there with that damn smile!

The short distance between them was disappearing fast. Neither of the seraphim moved as Lloyd fluidly reached down and latched onto the hilt of his sword; not breaking stride as he lifted it and swung, aiming to cut Yggdrasill's head from his shoulders. The blade arced through the air, slicing into- Nothing? Lloyd stumbled forward as the momentum of his attack threw him off-balance.

What just happened? Where did Yggdrasill go? He was right there! Wait. Lloyd tensed. Yggdrasill was an angel, what if he could do that thing Remiel did and teleport-?

"Hmph." Behind him! "Is that your gratitude, wretched human?"

Lloyd whirled around just in time to see Yggdrasill's attack, a sharp crescent-shaped wave of white mana, then he was in the air again. It didn't hurt as bad this time. In fact, he couldn't feel much of anything at all. He could see the blood, lots of blood, from where the attack tore his old wounds open, but the pain just wasn't reaching him. Everything was numb and floaty and weird... The others, he could hear them yelling about something, but they were muffled and drowned out by an explosive crack as the back of his head slammed into solid stone. Then, nothing.

- X -

All those heroics, so much effort, all for naught. What exactly did that impudent brat think he was going to accomplish by standing in the way of Cruxis' plans? Yggdrasill floated over, hovering in front of the crumpled, bloodied heap of swordsman for a moment before snagging the front of the unconscious boy's red shirt and lifting him up to eye level. So in the end the infamous Lloyd Irving was just another miserable human. How pathetic. Yggdrasill scowled as he gathered an orb of mana in his palm and leveled it at Lloyd's face. He would put an end to the idiot's suffering, for Cruxis and the sake of convenience. It was the least he could do.

"Farewell."

The familiar chime and rush of magic made him drop Lloyd and throw up a shield, his reflexes saving him as a ball of flames splashed against the magic barrier. Who could have cast that? There was no way Lloyd's little half-elven friend could pump out a major spell like that, not in his condition, and Kratos would never raise a hand against him again...

"Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel! We have no choice, we're taking her back with us alive!" A new voice, so there was a third party present. The flames began to die away, giving him a clear view of those traitorous Renegades before the next round of fireballs hit. They had brought only a small number of troops, but an entire company of mages whose sole purpose seemed to be to pin him down under a hail of magic. How flattering. Unfortunately it was working. Infuriating as they were, he had to admire their efficiency. Their leader was already evacuating Lloyd's allies from the lower level as the Renegade grunts rushed to come take the Chosen and Lloyd. All while he and Kratos were forced to hide behind bubbles of mana!

That couldn't be allowed. Martel needed that girl, she needed a body! He couldn't let those traitors steal that from her, not when they were so close to success! Forget being burned, there were healers on Derris-Kharlan. Lowering his shield, Yggdrasill began focusing his hatred for the Renegade mages that held him at bay and infusing those emotions with mana until he could feel the completed spell crackling inside his heart.

"Indignation Judgment!"

The mages vaporized, obliterated under the massive surge of lightning and with the threat of immolation gone, Yggdrasill lashed out; sending bolts of pure concussive force shooting across the Tower. The missiles aimed at Lloyd's would-be rescuers hit their marks, flinging the Renegades who had been struggling to load the boy onto a stretcher over the edge of the Tower, screaming and flailing and they fell into the endless blue space; but the squad of troopers shepherding the Chosen along somehow avoided the blasts, dodging and weaving as they ran back to the safety of their leader's warp field with the soulless girl in their midst, shielding her from the chunks of flying shrapnel as the stone floor tiles exploded around them. The sight of little Colette dematerializing as they teleported away made Yggdrasill want to scream, demolish the Tower, scour all of Sylvarant for the Renegades and annihilate every one of the worthless traitors he found... But he couldn't. He couldn't afford to lose control. The meticulously crafted persona of Lord Yggdrasill needed to be maintained, even if Kratos was the only one around to appreciate it.

_'As long as we have Lloyd, his friends will try to mount a rescue. We can recapture the Chosen then.'_ The logical part of his mind whispered, _'Besides, she would be useless as a vessel the way she is now, even if you did have her.'_ That was right, but it was still so frustrating...

"Are you all right, Mithos?" Kratos' signature aloof yet concerned tone brought the angel's mind back to the situation at hand.

"Yes... Those Renegades are as irritating as ever." He glanced down at Lloyd, half-slung onto the Renegades' stretcher and gave him a quick kick in the ribs. No response. The brat was still out cold. It was almost impressive. Lloyd was beaten, wounded, and unconscious; but he was still alive. A mere human who was somehow able to survive encounters with both Kratos and himself. Intriguing... "Hm, perhaps I was a little hasty..." How strong was Lloyd really? Strong enough to endure a transformation, perhaps? Cruxis could find some use for him beyond simply using him as bait, Yggdrasill was sure of it. "Kratos, it seems we will have a slight change of plans."

* * *

AN: Oh no! What sinister plan does Yggy have in store for our heroes? Tune in next chapter for the thrilling... Well, it's not 'conclusion' yet, not nearly. Um... Thrilling plot advancement? A light refreshment will be served!

Anyway, thanks for reading, guys n' gals. See you next update! Whenever that is... (Sweat drop)


	4. Chapter 2

AN: The AN I wrote forever ago: "There was about... I'd say a eight-month interlude between when I finished chapter one and started this chapter. Now, aren't you glad I try to write the entire story before posting any of it?"

HAHAHAHAHA! Sad thing is, it's so very true. Even after it was written, this chapter sat on my computer for over a year before NothinButTreble asked me about the fic and reminded me that the file even exited. So, thank Treble for the continuation! I'll be off scouring my notes for what I was going to write next...

* * *

Kratos was worried, but not for Lloyd's survival. That was ensured, thanks to Welgaia's medical magitechnology; machines that routinely produced miracles, coaxing life from even the most hopeless patients. It was what Mithos had planned for Lloyd's future that had Kratos on edge.

Why had Lloyd been spared? The question ate away at him as he stood by the boy's bedside in the infirmary, watching over the younger swordsman while Lifeless healers darted about, ministering to him and taking measurements with dull eyes. Half a day had passed since they first brought Lloyd to Welgaia and he was still unconscious... A pang of guilt stabbed through Kratos' heart as he thought back to the horrific beating he gave Lloyd inflicting those wounds. Mithos may have dealt the final blow, but most of the damage was from his blade. His doing.

Claiming the Chosen after the Regeneration was completed, and all the violence that might entail, was his small part to play in furthering Cruxis' plans. It was always his duty since the birth of the first Chosen, and not a job he enjoyed, but it had never felt so entirely wrong before.

Kratos bowed his head, remembering the many parties he'd annihilated in the past. So many Chosens' companions who decided to fight rather than relinquish their friend to death. His guilt applied to them almost as much as it did to the unconscious boy in the bed before him.

"Forgive me..." A snicker from across the room pulled Kratos out of his reflection.

"Oh? Whatever for, Kratos?" He looked up to see Yggdrasill standing in the doorway, enjoying a laugh at his expense. "You weren't daydreaming, were you?"

"No, just thinking." How could he have been so careless? It was foolish to let his emotions get the better of him like that. Kratos tried to compose himself as Yggdrasill came to stand beside him. He knew he shouldn't ask, or seem as if he had any more interest in Lloyd than was due a prisoner, but he had to satisfy his curiosity. The uncertainty of what Mithos had planned was driving him mad! "Lord Yggdrasill, if I may ask, why did you bring Lloyd with us?"

"That has to do with the change of plans I mentioned." Yggdrasill leaned in, propping himself up with one hand as he bent low over the cot to get a better look at Lloyd. "Martel needs a vessel and she needs it now. I've already kept her waiting for too long."

"I agree, and I'm certain we will recapture the Chosen soon, but what role does Lloyd play?"

The leader of Cruxis paused, looking up from Lloyd to stare incredulously at Kratos.

"Weren't you listening, Kratos? My sister needs a new body." A satisfied smile crept across the seraph's face, chilling Kratos as he decoded exactly what Yggdrasill meant.

"You can't be serious!"

"You and I both know the mana transfer is impossible to perform on an unwilling subject. Our rebellious Chosen Colette would resist, Lloyd however..." The smile grew wider. "His unconscious mind would be no match for Martel's spirit. I know his mana signature is less than ideal, but his body has proven itself resilient and with that Exsphere of his it should be a serviceable vessel."

Kratos didn't respond, he didn't trust himself to. His feigned air of detachment had already slipped once and with the news he was just given, the mask threatened to crack entirely. That was something neither he nor Lloyd could afford. Instead Kratos remained silent, watching Lloyd as he struggled to rein in his emotions and considered his options.

A mana transfer using Lloyd as the subject... How could Mithos even consider such a thing? Regardless of whether it succeeded or failed, the procedure would utterly destroy Lloyd's mind, as it did to every other ultimately incompatible Chosen; a fate far worse than simply being rendered soulless with a Cruxis Crystal. Soullessness could be remedied with a Rune Crest, but a complete erasure of one's personality? There was no cure for that.

"Is something wrong, Kratos?"

The concern in Yggdrasill's voice took Kratos by surprise. Suspicion at Kratos' long silence, that would have been something the mercenary could accept; but that innocent concern... From the way he spoke, it sounded as if Mithos genuinely couldn't see the insanity of what he was proposing, the horrific cruelty.

This was wrong. It needed to be stopped, but at the moment there was nothing he could do. He couldn't give Mithos any reason to suspect him, not yet. Doing his best to smother his disgust, Kratos tore his gaze away form Lloyd, hoping his eyes wouldn't betray him as he tried to seem cool and professional.

"No. Don't concern yourself, it's nothing."

- X -

_The blood curdling snap of splintering bone._

_The sight of her best friend falling through a haze of red._

_"Lloyd, no! Lloyd!"_

- X -

Colette woke with a gasp, nearly falling out of bed before Sheena could catch her.

"Whoa, easy." The assassin helped her sit up while Raine piled pillows against the bed's headboard for her to lean on. "You all right?" Colette paused, taking stock of the situation. Waking up in a strange new room, Sheena's palpable concern, Raine darting around making a quick medical examination of her, that horrible dream...

_'No, I'm not.'_ She nodded and, once Raine finished taking her pulse, reached for Sheena's hand, tracing the words "I think" before the shinobi stopped her.

"Hold on, you don't need to do that anymore."

_'What?'_ The shock must have reached Colette's face because Raine smiled, writing a few notes in a book on the nightstand before turning back to her student.

"Yes, it seems that the treatment was a success so you should be back to normal. There might be some difficulty at first because you haven't used your vocal cords in so long, but try speaking. I'm sure you feel disoriented and have a lot of questions, but don't worry. We're in a safe place."

Colette froze. Before she had been too caught up in what was going on to notice, but the pillows behind her... They were soft. Soft! And the blanket over her legs, it was warm. When Sheena caught her earlier, she felt the grip on her shoulder! Her sense of taste was back too! The thought that she really, really needed to brush her teeth flitted through her mind before being shoved out of the way by other, more important questions.

What happened? Where was Lloyd? For that matter, where was she?

The room wasn't like any inn they stayed at before. It was weird. The walls all looked like they were made of painted metal, there were columns with designs painted on them that glowed, and the bed was way too comfortable to belong in an inn. Worse, it somehow all seemed familiar.

She swallowed nervously, then opened her mouth. It really had been a long time...

"Professor..." The word creaked out. Unsteady, but definitely her voice. "I can talk... I can really talk! How did-?" Her question was cut off by a pneumatic hiss as the room's door slid open to admit Genis, carrying a glass of water.

"You're awake!" The little half-elf dashed across the room to the bedside, sloshing water on the floor the whole way. "Welcome back, Colette! Here. I thought you'd be thirsty."

Colette accepted what was left of the glass, her eyes flickering back to the door as she drained it. There was only one type of building in the world with automatic doors like that.

"Professor, what's going on?" Colette's voice was quiet, a tinge of fear creeping into it. "Where are we? This place... It looks like a Desian Base!" The door hissed again.

"That would be because it is a Desian Base, in a manner of speaking. You are in Triet." Colette slowly reached behind her back, grasping for a Pow-Pow hammer as Yuan stepped through the door and moved to stand by the foot of the bed, Botta following close behind. "You're finally awake, and it looks like the Rune Crest we provided you has fully integrated with your Cruxis Cryst-" He shoved Botta to the side and dropped to the floor, dodging the red and yellow blur of a plastic hammer that cratered the steel wall exactly where they had been less than a second before, and rolled before rising to one knee, a sphere of mana pulsing in his hand. "What is the meaning of this? !"

"Hey, calm down!' Sheena grabbed hold of Colette's wrists, preventing her from throwing the next batch of hammers she drew from under her tabard. "I know it's weird, but he's on our side now!" Colette relaxed slightly, still gripping the hammers just in case, as Yuan dismissed the mana and got to his feet, straightening his cape before looking to Raine who just offered an amused yet apologetic smile.

"Sorry. Colette's just woken up. We haven't had an opportunity to explain the situation to her yet."

"I see." He crossed his arms and huffed. "Well then, take this opportunity before she decides to throw anything else."

- X -

At the Tower of Salvation Remiel managed to force her into becoming an angel, Kratos betrayed them, and when they were about to be killed it was these Renegades- Led by the very man who massacred the priests and tried to murder her at the Martel Temple- who saved them. Not only that, once back at their base they generously fitted her with a piece of their magitechnology, the Professor called it a Rune Crest, that suppressed her Cruxis Crystal and returned her senses.

Had it not been Raine telling her these things, Colette wouldn't have believed a word. Even though she mostly accepted that the Cruxis were now their enemies and the Desians were Cruxis' pawns, she was still having trouble with the notion that these particular Desians- Er, Renegades were any better. As the Chosen she practically breathed forgiveness, but all the assassination attempts and attacks on her friends were hard to forget. Still... If Raine, Sheena, and Genis all were okay with the situation maybe there really wasn't anything to worry about, at least not or now.

That just left one question unanswered. Colette took a deep breath, steeling herself for the answer.

"Where's Lloyd?" Part of her almost didn't want to find out. The Lloyd she knew would have stayed by her side until she woke; refused to leave, even to eat, until the Professor came and made him. That he wasn't there watching over her had Colette worrying from the moment she opened her eyes. It had only gotten worse the longer he stayed missing, but the flash of pain in Raine's eyes when she heard the question, the way Genis looked away, Sheena hung her head, and even the renegades sobered took her anxiety and transformed it into heart-stabbing terror.

"My men were unable to recover him at the Tower of Salvation. At the moment we believe Lloyd is in Cruxis' custody."

No. Colette slumped back into the mound of pillows, her thoughts skipping and grinding against each other as she processed the news. Lloyd was Cruxis' prisoner? This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Everybody was supposed to escape from the Tower and continue the Journey of Regeneration together. No more sacrifices. Not from her, and especially not from Lloyd!

Her hands slowly clenched, dragging the bedcovers into her fists. If the battle at the Tower of Salvation went as badly as Raine said, the dream she had might not have been a dream at all. Lloyd could be hurt really badly... Would Cruxis even bother to heal his wounds?

The door hissed open, interrupting Colette's desperate train of thought once more, and all eyes turned to watch as a Renegade soldier rushed through carrying a roughly plate-sized disc of metal and glass.

"Lord Yuan, sir..." He spoke slowly with just a hint of a tremor, as if the crutch of military formality was the only thing keeping him from screaming hysteria. "Lord Kratos has made contact from Welgaia and demands to speak with you regarding Lloyd Irving."

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AN: I am upset that the only way I can implement an interrobang now is by typing ?, space, then ! It's terribly inconvenient.

Now, I do plan to continue, but (like all the other chapters) it may take a while before I'm back up to authorly scratch. Keep an eye out for updates though, they'll show up eventually.


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